The UK could be legally bound to pay a massive £39 ($52) billion Brexit ‘divorce bill’, even if the European Union (EU) is uncooperative and refused to negotiate a future trade deal, a Brexit minister has admitted.

The government is braced for a series of defeats in the House of Lords, designed to hinder the UK’s exit from the bloc, as research identifies the “top 10 Brexit-blocking Lords” working to thwart the will of the people.